Resources

Hey, y’all! I created this page to share the most helpful resources that I have found in regard to lifestyle optimization. Before utilizing any resource, I encourage you to read my disclosure.

FOOD

I have found local, organic food to be the best source of high-quality, affordable food. To find local farmers/CSA’s near you, check out Local Harvest. If you’d like to order healthy groceries that will be delivered to your door, check out Thrive Market. Thrive Market sells natural foods at wholesale prices, and each membership provides heathy food to a family in need. Amazon Prime Pantry is damned-convenient, although it is not my first choice for purchasing food. Using a book like Fat-Burning Chef will give you a resource for learning how to cook; knowing what is in your food and that it has been prepared healthily is key to long-term dietary success.

WATER

Having a clean source of water for drinking and bathing in is essential to well-being. Berkey filters are high quality, affordable, and remove more contaminants, waste-products, heavy metals, chlorine byproducts, and fluoride than the average filter you buy at Walmart or Target. They last many years longer too – definitely worth the initial investment as you save a ton of money in the long run and get a lot more bang for your buck.

A high quality air filter, such as an Americare Air Filter, will keep you safe if you live in a polluted environment.

MEDITATION

Vipassana – Free 10-Day Meditation Courses – The meditation technique rediscovered by Siddhārtha Gautama (Buddha) which provides a simple, easy to learn tool for achieving enlightenment. May sound like a farce, but give it a shot! There are free courses worldwide. I have been practicing Vipassana and volunteering with the organization since 2013 and it has changed my life profoundly. I’m not enlightened (lol), but I am far more peaceful and capable of dealing with the stress of everyday life because of the daily practice of Vipassana.

EVERYDAY HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

The Environmental Working Group provides info on safety testing for many health-related products. This resource will let you know which products have undergone rigorous testing and are safe to apply cosmetically, to clothing, and so forth.

Earthing via an Earthing mat will help you to “stay grounded” while doing everyday activities like sleeping and working on the computer. This allows you to connect to the antioxidants flowing through the Earth, which may protect you from man-made very low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) edited from devices such as house wiring, computers, etc… Some studies have shown that this connection to the Earth may also improve sleep, blood oxygenation, heart rate variability, and immune response while reducing pain, anxiety, irritability, and inflammation. Earth Runners are sandals that allow you to do this while you are out an about; use coupon code Bear10 for 10% off. Because ambient man-made EMFs are prevalent, I use an Earthing mat whenever possible if I am not in direct contact with the Earth.

And the two most helpful exercise books I have found – Body by Science and Starting Strength. Body by Science lays out an incredibly effective and safe workout that only takes about 12-15 minutes per week, and Starting Strength does a wonderful job discussing the mechanics of weight-lifting in order to prevent injury while also increasing muscular strength.

SLEEP

F.lux is a free app that can be utilized to adjust your computer’s color display based on the time of day. Its purpose is to reduce eye strain and disruption of sleep patterns. Essentially, it filters blue light at night as blue light exposure has been shown in some studies to reduce melatonin production and therefore make it harder to fall asleep. The app or a similar app can be downloaded onto phones (if they are Android or iOs jailbroken).

The Sleep Cycle app is very useful if it is necessary to wake up early each morning for school or work etc… It is an alarm clock that can be downloaded onto your phone which tracks your sleep patterns and wakes you up during light sleep rather than during deep sleep. It tracks your sleep patterns either through an accelerometer or via sound (as you move, you tend to make noise which can be picked up on your phone – and if you are making noise, you are not in deep sleep). Essentially, it is far less of a jolt in the morning and my experience with it is that I tend to wake up more refreshed and less like I want to throw a kitten across the room.